National Geographic’s Mars Blasts Off to More Than 15 MM Viewers Globally

On National Geographic US, MARS Nabbed an Average of 1.0 Million Viewers and 1.9 HH, .9 P25-54 (Live +3), Marking Highest-Performing New Series in Key Demo for the Network Since April 2016 and Second-Highest-Rated New Series Premiere in Network History

On National Geographic UK, MARS Became the Highest-Rated New Series in Network History

MARS November NG Magazine Cover Story Is Best-Selling Issue Since May 2016

From Executive Producers Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, MARS Airs Mondays at 9/8c on National Geographic US

(Washington, D.C. – Nov. 23, 2016) – Hailed by critics as “incredible,” “entertainment with teeth,” “brilliant” and “compelling,” National Geographic’s global event series MARS, which premiered Mon., Nov. 14, at 9/8c in the U.S. and internationally on Sun., Nov. 13, reached more than 15.5 MM viewers worldwide. In the U.S., the groundbreaking unscripted/scripted hybrid series averaged 1.0 million total viewers and 1.9 HH, .9 P25-54 (Live +3), according to Nielsen Media. MARS also coincided with National Geographic’s largest global rebrand in its history, extending over the visual presentation of the global channels in 171 countries, the iconic magazine, nationalgeographic.com, all of the company’s social and digital platforms and the National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C.

This six-part global event series tells the inspiring story from the vantage point of a fictitious crewed mission to Mars in 2033. Academy Award- and Emmy-winning producers Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Michael Rosenberg of Imagine Entertainment; Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning producer Justin Wilkes, Academy Award- and Emmy-winning producer Jon Kamen and Dave O’Connor of RadicalMedia; and visionary Mexican filmmaker Everardo Gout (“Days of Grace”) joined forces to launch viewers farther into outer space than ever before.

“We’re thrilled that our global audience took this epic journey with us. MARS marks an exciting turning point for our network and we’re grateful to our best-in-class partners at Imagine and RadicalMedia for helping us in our quest to become the world’s premium destination for science, adventure, and exploration,” said Courteney Monroe, CEO, National Geographic Global Networks.

In the U.S., MARS was the highest-rated premiere for P25-54 since Story of God (Apr. 3, 2016) and is the second-most-viewed new series premiere in network history. It was viewed on average for 32.8 minutes.

Across all plays for the series premiere, the program was viewed by more than 15.5 MM viewers. In the U.K., MARS became the highest-rated program in network history (averaging 691,000 P4+ across all plays). Globally, MARS outperformed network averages in all but two markets. It was +126% or better in every region, with Europe +160%. In addition, the MARS November cover story is best-selling issue since May 2016, on its way to be the 3rd best-selling issue of 2016.

MARS has generated nearly 300MM social media impressions, 35MM video views and 4MM engagements to date. For the premiere, the MARS-themed edition on Snapchat Discover received over 1MM unique views. #MARS and #CountdownToMars have been used over 150K times since October.

In next week’s episode, “Pressure Drop,” on Mon., Nov. 28, at 9/8c, it’s 2033 and the Daedalus mission is in jeopardy as the crew struggles to find a permanent shelter that can provide long-term protection from radiation. The team must locate a suitable site for their settlement before their mission is cut short. In current day, the European Space Agency and Roscosmos, Russia’s former federal space agency, partner to launch an orbiter to help future Mars missions prepare for settlement through advanced imagery.

National Geographic extended the MARS storytelling in an unprecedented cross-platform effort, including a six-part digital companion prequel series, Before MARS, available on www.natgeotv.com. The network also launched an extensive digital virtual reality experience at www.MakeMarsHome.com and a MARS Experience installation in New York City. Further, MARS is the November cover story of National Geographic magazine and is featured in a stand-alone National Geographic book, “MARS: Our Future on the Red Planet,” and NG Kids book, “MARS: The Red Planet,” on sale now. Last, there are media and educational materials for kids, a touring NG Live speakers series and ongoing MARS coverage on nationalgeographic.com.

National Geographic Channels
The National Geographic Channels (The Channels) form the television and production arm of National Geographic Partners, a joint venture between 21st Century Fox and the National Geographic Society. As a global leader in premium science, adventure and exploration programming, the Channels include: National Geographic Channel (NGC), Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo People and Nat Geo MUNDO. Additionally, the Channels also run the in-house television production unit, National Geographic Studios. The Channels contribute to the National Geographic Society’s commitment to exploration, conservation and education with entertaining, innovative programming from A-level talent around the world, and with profits that help support the society’s mission. Globally, NGC is available in more than 440 million homes in 171 countries and 45 languages, and Nat Geo WILD is available in 131 countries and 38 languages. National Geographic Partners is also a leader in social media, with a fan base of 250 million people across all of its social pages. NGC contributes over 55 million social media fans globally on Facebook alone. For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com and www.natgeowild.com.